Penny’s Big Breakaway is a unique 3D platformer with fun ideas that occasionally get a bit lost in itself. That being said, the varied methods of mobility and chill overall vibe make for a pleasant time.
Penny’s Big Breakaway
Developer: Evening Star
Price: $30
Platform: PS5 (reviewed), Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
MonsterVine received a PS5 code for review
Pretty much anything made by anyone involved with Sonic the Hedgehog has the potential to get me interested. When I heard Penny’s Big Breakaway was being made by the folks being Sonic Mania – one of the best 2D platformers in ages – I was immediately down to try it. Now that I’m finished, I’m glad I did, as it’s filled with intriguing mechanics that I look forward to seeing more refined in future games.
The primary gimmick of Penny’s Big Breakaway is the use of the titular character’s yo-yo. Most of the game has you running and hopping around stages while using the yo-yo to swing, zip around, and bat away enemies. Each stage has items to collect and NPCs with requests you can fulfill, with the collectible items being used to unlock separate challenge stages. It’s a good deal of content to play around with, providing stages with a bit of replayability.
There are plenty of combos you can pull off with the yo-yo, which is even encouraged by the game through a combo counter. The versatility that comes with this system is one of the greatest strengths of Penny’s Big Breakaway, as you can freely mess around to get more familiar with the game’s general mobility system and get a handle on new techniques that might help you finish a level faster.
“When the visuals work, they compliment the delightful music wonderfully and make for an incredibly pleasant vibe.“
The game has 11 different settings with a varying number of levels in each. Though a few creative power-ups helped keep things interesting, by the end, I was ready to be done. The main enemies – penguins that try to swarm you to arrest Penny – are a neat idea, but they become more of a hindrance than a novel enemy type as the game goes on.
On the other hand, the bosses are quite creative, each requiring you to perform different feats. One has you smacking their heads around a pool table, while another has you blasting the weights off of a scale. Though the final boss drags on a bit, I found the boss fights to largely be a highlight of the game, as they take advantage of the game’s yo-yo mechanics in novel ways.
The visuals of Penny’s Big Breakaway can be both incredibly charming and a little bit overwhelming. The environments and colors are exciting and stylish, giving each of the game’s areas a distinct vibe that’s completely individual. At the same time, the character designs have appeal but can often come off as just slightly overdesigned.
When the visuals work, though, they compliment the delightful music wonderfully and make for an incredibly pleasant vibe. Surfing on waves or navigating through a steamy bath world is surprisingly relaxing, despite the frantic and fast-paced platforming that’s occurring at pretty much all times.
The Final Word
Though Penny’s Big Breakaway wears a bit thin by its end, the 3D platformer is a lot of fun in bursts and features lots of fun ideas that I hope to see refined in future titles. The colorful style and plethora of play styles make it worth the time of platformer fans, and I look forward to the next game from Evening Star.
MonsterVine Rating: 3.5 out of 5 – Fair
